OF NORFOLK. IO3 



the farmer to improve his flock confidcrably by 

 better keeping ; fo that, at this time, they are be- 

 come refpeclable and profitable in their return, and 

 in as high eflimation, at Smithfield, as any fheep 

 whatever, for no better mutton can be put upon a 

 table ; and though they produce but little wool, it 

 is of good quality. Notwithflanding this, there 

 are fome gentlemen, and fome confiderable farmers 

 too, who begin to diflike and defpife them, and 

 prefer the Lincoln and Leicefler breed: but the 

 Norfolk farmer will never be able to fubilitute 

 any other fheep, that will anfwer penning fo \vdi(a) 

 as the native fheep. The heavy Leicefterfhirc 

 fheep has not activity enough to move over a fuffi- 

 ciency of ground to get his living, and therefore 

 can never anfwer folding; and if the great farmer 

 gives up folding, he lofes all his confequence, as 

 he cannot keep his land fo well by any other 

 means (b), and commits upon himfelf, a fort of 

 felo de fe: therefore I would have him fully con- 

 fider the value of this improvement, before he 

 haflily adopts any other change of Rock, left, by 

 fo doing, the value of the fold be loft. 



Some little reverence is due to what his fore- 

 fathers and ancient cuftom have fanclioned; there- 

 fore, even under this confideration, he may, per- 

 haps, do wrong in parting with the flock that has 

 long been naturalized to the foil, till he can fir (I 



fully 



